Speed bumps ahead?

The optimist sees the Indians are 32-30 and thinks this team is starting a serious roll that could breach the gap between third place and the playoffs in the next six to eight weeks.
The pessimist sees the Indians are 32-30 and figures, well, they've just been beating up on bad teams. They reference the two recent series losses to the division-rival White Sox and Twins as proof.
Both sides have some merit. Who is right has yet to be determined.
The Indians' recent success has been fueled in large part by interleague play, which has seen the Indians face National League bottom-feeders the Reds, Giants and Rockies. The Indians have owned interleague play to this point, going 8-2 against the those three teams and the Padres. Interleague play is the biggest reason why the Indians are a division-best 15-7 in their last 22 games.
Interleague play has helped save the Indians' season to this point, but ultimately, the Indians will vault themselves back into contention only by beating divisional opponents, thanks to the unbalanced schedule. To that end, the Indians have not gotten the job done. They are 9-13 against the AL Central, 23-17 against the rest of the majors. Only the abysmal Royals are worse against divisional opponents in the Central, at 5-17.
By contrast, the first-place White Sox have beaten up on divisional opponents, going 20-5. Three of those losses have come against Cleveland.
Interleauge play will be over in two weeks. The Indians have two games against the Rockies, and a pair of three-game series against the Diamondbacks and Reds left. Then it is back to the American League grind, and more divisional games.
Interleague play can serve only as a stepping-off point for the rest of the season. Maintaining the momentum they currently have is up to the players.
Having said that, beating up on bad teams can be a confidence-builder. If I was on a slumping team, give me a home series against the last-place Rockies over facing the White Sox six times in nine days anytime. The old adage once endorsed by Indians great Lou Boudreau is to beat up on the dregs and try to break even against the good teams.
For the Indians, that means the Twins and White Sox in particular.